I am often evaluating and reevaluating my parenting. Well, I'm at it again. I have found myself doing what I KNEW I would never do.
Things such as, "If I have to tell you one more time...." or "How many times have I told you?" or "Come here now. I SAID come NOW!! I mean it! COME NOW!" etc. etc.
The other day I was lecturing Raegan about something. When I was finished Paige said, "Wow, Mom that was a lot of words."
So it's time for a change. Lord, help me!
The change started today, it involved me telling the girls something ONCE. If they didn't obey - they were "charged" a chore. Today, the kitchen table got cleared and the living room and their bedroom was picked up.
Now this I can handle. :)
Here' s the real point to my post. I am so unorganized with chores for them in the first place. I know that the things mentioned above should probably be everyday normal chores. And I've tried that too. I'm just not very consistent.
I've asked for help in a WAY earlier post and now I'm asking again. In your opinions, what are good age appropriate chores? How does this work for you? How do you set it up?
You see I got big ideas - but then sometimes I get in over my head and my big ideas begin to fizzle.
This happened with my last big attempt at the chore chart. I bought the brightly colored poster board. I cut out little squares with chores on them. Then I took it all to Office Max and got it laminated.
Next, it was off to Walmart to find the Velcro that you could stick on. Then came the cutting and the sticking. I also made and laminated smiley faces so the girls could mark off each chore when completed.
Oh, it was cute!! BUT, I started getting burnt out because it was requiring more than I wanted to give and just recently I threw out the whole (unfinished) project! Gasp!
Sooooo, I'm looking for an easier, potentially less cute but more usable alternative. Can you help me?!
Friday, July 25, 2008
I think this just might work!
Labels: life with kids
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6 comments:
There are so many great programs out there, the problem is you have to be accountable to them. That's where I tend to fall short. I recently bought a new program that I LOVE it is called Accountable Kids. The website is:
www.accountablekids.com
Age appropriate chores will vary with maturity level. I have kids aged: 12,9,9,8,6,and 3. My 3 year old has NO chores except to help out on occasion.
My 6 year old feeds dry food and water to the dogs/cats 2x a day.
My other kids rotate weekly: Wash dishes (all day), empty trash cans (all day), sweep basement floor, sweep the kitchen floor.
Those are our daily chores. They also each have a weekly chore so the house gets cleaned.
Good luck with finding the right plan for your family!
I'm coming over from Lysa T's site. Nice to meet you!
My question is not so much what are age appropriate chores, BUT how to get the kids to do the chores without resorting to. "If I have to tell you one more time..." "How many times have I told you?" "Do it now. I said NOW. Come on I mean it!" :)
OK, this is SO me. We have started countless, yes countless chore concepts. You know what I've recently decided? Whatever I ask you to do today is your chore. And if you don't do it when asked, then I don't give you an allowance.
One thing I have stuck to this summer is 'Smart Start Monday.' Every Monday they do 5 worksheets, read, and we go to the library. It's become a habit. But in that summer work, I introduced fractions - all the way to 1/10. So with the allowance, I encourage them to put 1/10th into the offering on Sunday and one time per month, we put together all our 1/10th's for savings and take that to the bank. The rest, they can spend (with veto power from yours truly). I can now say - sure, you can buy that. With your money. Oh, Heaven. I'm teaching two 6 year-olds and sort of the 4 year-old that $$ doesn't just grow on trees. And I'm loving it!
And they've done a pretty good job just doing whatever chore I 'assign' them that day. That ALWAYS includes making your bed, getting dressed, and putting away your pjs. During the day, pick up what you finish. At night, dirty clothes in the laundry. Randomly, it may mean feed the dog, let him outside, help set the table, and wipe down the bathroom sink (cuz we're FLY like that).
ok. sometimes these things really freak me out. the chore thing has been so on my mind. i already have the chores divided up that each kiddo will only have 1 or 2 big chores for the day. i too bought the poster board and the velcro...i just haven't' designed the chart yet.
BUT the major problem is that i do not tell them to do the chores!!!! my biggest downfall is that I am NOT a morning person or a schedule person. I have great aspirations, but when the alarm goes off, i slumber...and then i enjoy 1 or 2 cups of coffee, read the paper, call a friend. anything to begin starting my day.
the sad thing is that my kids would actually do well at the chore thing if i just stuck to my schedule and got my rearend moving in the morning.
i also hate when they are playing soooo well together and then i have to intervene with chores. i want them to play together.
it is amazing how much help they are when they do the chores!
we need to pray for each other!;)
I've been reading your blog for awhile and decided to respond to this post:)
I have two 6 year olds (and a 20 month old but he doesn't count on this one!)and struggled with the whole chore thing for a long time.
What finally worked for us is to have a list of regular, every day chores. These are chores that they do every day such as make beds, brush teeth, pick up dirty laundry, set the table, put backpacks away after school, pick up THEIR bedrooms. They do not get a reward for these chores but they do get privileges taken away for not doing them. Such as no computer games, or no swimming, or whatever they REALLY like to do at that moment. I told them at the beginning that I would only tell them ONCE to do a chore before taking a privilege away. They start to get the point after a few days!
They also have chores that they get an allowance for (or a special treat) - this may not motivate your girls until they are a little older but it's worth a try. These include picking up their baby brother's mess, picking up a room without being asked, or helping to dry supper dishes. At the end of the day/week (younger kids need shorter deadlines) I decide if they earned the preset amount or not.
Remember that you will have days that will seem like a set-back - don't let it get you discouraged! Take it one day at a time and don't be afraid to be flexible with you plan - what ever you decide it will be!!
I print a chore chart each week from this website: www.dltk-cards.com
My 4 yr old has five daily chores: make bed, take out garbage, vacuum under (kitchen) table (with hand vac), pick up toys, hang up clothes. The website makes the chore chart with the grid, so on each day he puts a tiny sticker in the box by the chore he has completed.
Each evening before his bedtime snack we go through the list to see what chore(s) he has left to complete for the day. He gets occasional "freebies" if we've been gone that evening and we miss our routine.
If he has diligently done all his chores that week, on Sunday afternoon he gets to choose a piece of candy from his Easter basket. (Yes, we are still rationing the crazy amount of sugar received at the Egg Hunts... it should last until Halloween!)
I think a great benefit to chores is we can use words like "responsible" and "diligent" to describe his character and motivate him to see the worth in exhibiting those character values.
We all have chores and responsibilities. Daddy goes to work to provide for us. Mommy cooks, cleans, laundry, etc. I also made the analogy that we are on on the same TEAM and we work together to benefit each other. Good life lessons!
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